1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a generating apparatus, reproducing apparatus, and reproducing method of contents with smell reproducing information, and in particular, to a generating apparatus, a reproducing apparatus, and a reproducing method of contents with smell reproducing information, which generate contents, including smell reproducing information in media data and output smell data together with the contents when executing the corresponding contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the use of Internet has been expanded as a basis of real life, a variety of information is commonly distributed in a media contents form over a network. Audiovisual based media contents occupy 90% or more of the Internet contents.
Recently, research for digitally encoding the audiovisual information as well as information of the five senses of human and representing them in the media contents form has progressed around the world in order to transmit more lifelike information. In other words, research for converting tactile information, smell information, and taste information into digital information and including it in the media contents has progressed. Among the senses, smell information has been evaluated to be the most effective sensory information that can be perceived in respects to media information and commercialized, because it is considered to be the sensory information that can effect the emotion of a human.
The smell research field can be largely sorted into a smell recognition field and a smell representation field. First, the smell research field defines a smell mechanism of a human and focuses on developing an apparatus capable of performing a function similar to the smell organ of a human. On the other hand, the smell representation field standardizes the smell information, reproduces it by using the standardized smell information, and focuses on the development of service using the smell information.
In the smell recognition field, the most remarkable research achievement includes the smell mechanism definition of a human defined by Excel and Buck, 2004. In addition to the biological accessing method, a research method in view of a technical aspect may include an electronic nose. An electronic nose has been developed since 1980 by imitating a smell organ of a human. Recently, the technical development of the electronic nose capable of accurately determining various smells has been exerted.
In the smell representation field, a method capable of reproducing smells according to smell information has been developed. The smell reproducing service using the Internet such as ScentDome by Trinsenx Co., USA and IPSmell by AromaJet Co., USA in addition to a smelling TV by ScentTV, USA has been provided since 2000, which started from a service that provides smells when showing a movie from 1960. In addition to this, Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan published a research result of improving concentration and actual sensation of a game by applying the smell information to the game.
As such, various services using the smell information have been developed, but the level of the smell reproducing technology remains at an infant stage and thus, is limited to reproducing only one kind of smell, not complex smells. A need exists for a development of a smell information representing technology and a smell reproducing technology that can reproduce smells similar to an actual environment in order to provide the actual sensation of the media contents to the user. In addition, a need also exists for a technology development that can reproduce complex smells.